LaMarr Woodley
{{Short description|American football player (born 1984)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = LaMarr Woodley
| image = LaMarr Woodley.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Woodley with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2012
| current_team =
| number = 56, 58
| position = Linebacker
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|11|3|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lbs = 265
| high_school = Saginaw
| college = Michigan
| draftyear = 2007
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 46
| pastteams = * Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|2007}}–{{NFL Year|2013}})
- Oakland Raiders ({{NFL Year|2014}})
- Arizona Cardinals ({{NFL Year|2015}})
| status =
| highlights = * Super Bowl champion (XLIII)
- Second-team All-Pro (2009)
- Pro Bowl (2009)
- PFWA All-Rookie Team (2007)
- Lombardi Award (2006)
- Ted Hendricks Award (2006)
- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2006)
- Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year (2006)
- Unanimous All-American (2006)
- Rose Bowl Defensive MVP (2005)
- First-team All-Big Ten (2006)
- Second-team All-Big Ten (2004)
- Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (2023)
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 319
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 58.0
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 = 9
| statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue4 = 9
| statlabel5 = Interceptions
| statvalue5 = 5
| statlabel6 = Defensive touchdowns
| statvalue6 = 3
| pfr = WoodLa99
}}
LaMarr Dewayne Woodley (born November 3, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Michigan, earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. In his second season, he won Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals as a member of the Steelers. Woodley also played for the Cardinals and the Oakland Raiders.
Early life
Woodley was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan. While in high school, Woodley teamed with former Detroit Lions wide receiver Charles Rogers and former Chicago Bulls point guard Anthony Roberson on Saginaw High School's football team in 1999 to win Michigan's Division II state championship.
Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Woodley was listed as the third best inside linebacker in the nation in 2003.[https://sports.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-LaMarr-Woodley-9064;_ylt=At5nydDQ0_oXZI9RHMQkEMJGPZB4 LaMarr Woodley Recruiting Profile]
College career
Woodley enrolled at the University of Michigan, He predominantly played defensive end and sometimes linebacker, depending on the front seven's alignment. In 2006, Woodley was named the defensive captain of the Wolverines by his teammates.{{cite web | title=Woodley, Long Elected 2006 Football Team Captains | access-date=August 21, 2006 | url=http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/082106aaa.html | publisher=Regents of the University of Michigan }} He collected 12 sacks as a senior and won the Lombardi Award as the best lineman, offensive or defensive, in the country. T-shirts were created by Dave Peabody of the blog Michigan Against the World and sold in Ann Arbor with the slogan, "Guns don't kill people. LaMarr Woodley kills people."{{cite web | title=Thorns aplenty| access-date=August 18, 2007 | url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?p=1490253 | publisher=SportingNews.com }}{{cite web | title=LaMarr Shirts Have Arrived| access-date=June 2, 2006 | url=http://michiganagainsttheworld.blogspot.com/2006/07/lamarr-woodley-shirts-have-arrived.html | publisher=michiganagainsttheworld.blogspot.com }} His 12 sacks led the Big Ten conference,{{cite web|url=http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footbl/stats/2006-2007/confldrs.html|title=The Automated ScoreBook: 2006 Big Ten Conference Individual Statistics Through games of Jul 06, 2007|access-date=November 25, 2009|date=July 6, 2007|publisher=CBS Interactive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304194035/http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footbl/stats/2006-2007/confldrs.html|archive-date=March 4, 2012|url-status=dead}} and it ranked 8th in the nation.{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/natlRank.jsp?year=2006&div=4&rpt=IA_playerpasssacks&site=org|title=Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Player Report: Pass Sacks: Year: 2006 Thru: 01/08/07 Minimum Pct. of Games Played 75|access-date=November 25, 2009|date=January 8, 2007|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association}} Following his senior season in 2006, Woodley was a first-team All-Big Ten selection, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American.
He earned a master's degree in sport management studies through the Global Online program at California University of Pennsylvania, a public university about 35 miles from Pittsburgh.California University of Pennsylvania, https://www.calu.edu
=National awards=
- Unanimous first-team All-American (2006)
- Ted Hendricks Award (2006)
- Chuck Bednarik Award finalist (2006)
- Lott Trophy quarterfinalist (2006)
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlist (2006){{cite web | title=Big Ten Places 30 Football Student-Athletes on Several National Award Watch Lists | access-date=July 7, 2006 | url=http://bigten.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/062906aac.html | publisher=CSTV.com | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206225428/http://bigten.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/062906aac.html | archive-date=February 6, 2009 | url-status=dead }}
- Outland Trophy watchlist (2006)
- Michigan Sports Hall of Fame inductee (2023)
=Conference honors=
- Second-team All-Big Ten Conference (2004)
- Honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference (2005)
- First-team All-Big Ten Conference (2006)
- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2006)
- Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year (2006)
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 1 1/2
| weight = 266
| dash = 4.74
| ten split = 1.65
| twenty split = 2.72
| shuttle = 4.42
| cone drill = 6.82
| vertical = 38.5
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 9
| bench = 29
| wonderlic =
| note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day{{Cite web |url=http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=10128&DraftYear=2007 |title=LaMarr Woodley, Michigan, 2007 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football |website=draftscout.com |access-date=July 24, 2021}}{{Cite web |url=https://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?i=29471 |title=LaMarr Woodley, Combine Results, DE, Michigan |website=nflcombineresults.com |access-date=July 24, 2021}}
}}
=Pittsburgh Steelers=
Woodley was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round with the 46th overall pick of the 2007 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=2007 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2007/draft.htm |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}} He originally wore Joey Porter's old number, 55, throughout training camp, but after Steelers' center Chukky Okobi was cut, he took Okobi's old number, 56. He recorded his first sack in his second NFL game, as he sacked Buffalo Bills quarterback J. P. Losman in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh's 26–3 win over Buffalo. He recorded his second sack in three games, against Alex Smith of the San Francisco 49ers, in the fourth quarter of the Steelers' Week 3 37–16 win against the 49ers. In the 2008 season he was expected to start at the outside linebacker position left vacant when the Steelers let former starter Clark Haggans sign with the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 1 of the 2008 NFL season, Woodley was named GMC Defensive Player of the Week. He recorded three tackles, a sack, an interception, a defended pass, and a fumble recovery in his first career start.{{cite news |first= Gerry|last= Dulac|title= The Steelers in 2008: Lamarr Woodley|url= http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08249/909572-66.stm|newspaper= Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date= September 5, 2008|access-date=September 6, 2008}} In week 4 of the 2008 NFL Season he recorded his first professional touchdown on a fumble recovery against the Baltimore Ravens. He finished the season with 11.5 sacks. In 2008, the Steelers won their division over the Baltimore Ravens by one game, with a 12–4 record sending them to the playoffs.
After defeating the San Diego Chargers 35–24 in the divisional round, they outlasted their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, 23–14 to advance to Super Bowl XLIII. With two sacks in both the divisional round and Conference Championship, Woodley became the first player in NFL history to record three consecutive multi-sack playoff games, dating back to the Steelers' 31–29 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card round of the 2008 playoffs. In Super Bowl XLIII, Woodley extended this streak to four games when he sacked Kurt Warner twice, forcing the game-ending fumble on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner with 5 seconds remaining in the game to secure the win.
In 2009, he recorded 62 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown. He was named to his first Pro Bowl for his outstanding performance.
He is a member of the Air Jordan brand.
In 2010, Woodley had 50 tackles, 10.0 sacks, an interception (which he ran back for a touchdown), two pass deflections, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
At the end of the 2010 season, Woodley and the Steelers appeared in Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers. He was a starter in the game, recording three total tackles and a sack in the 31–25 loss.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201102060pit.htm |title=Super Bowl XLV - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers - February 6th, 2011 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en |access-date=December 15, 2017}} He was ranked 82nd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.{{Cite web |title=2011 NFL Top 100 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/awards/2011-nfl-top-100.htm |access-date=March 18, 2024 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}} After the lockout during the following offseason, Woodley signed a six-year, $61.5 million contract, the largest contract the Steelers ever gave to a defensive player.{{Cite web|url=https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/2015/10/17/steelers-lamarr-woodley-contract-cardinals-nfl-week-6/|title=Remember LaMarr Woodley's bad contract?|date=October 17, 2015}}
During the 2011 season, Woodley missed six games with a hamstring injury and accordingly only recorded 39 tackles and 9.0 sacks. However, during the four game period when James Harrison (his OLB partner and Steelers primary pass rusher) was injured, Woodley moved into Harrison's role and greatly improved his performance, recording 7.5 sacks during those four games. He was voted 63rd best player of the 2011 season by NFL players.
On December 15, 2013, the Pittsburgh Steelers placed Lamar Woodley on the season ending IR due to a calf injury. At the time, he had 5 sacks, and 36 tackles in 11 games played in the season.
Woodley was released by the team on March 11, 2014.{{cite web|last=Dulac|first=Gerry|title=Steelers to part ways with linebacker LaMarr Woodley|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/03/10/Source-Steelers-to-release-Woodley/stories/201403100159|publisher=Post-Gazette.com|access-date=March 11, 2014}}
=Oakland Raiders=
On March 13, 2014, Woodley signed a two-year contract with the Oakland Raiders.
{{Cite web |url=http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Raiders-Sign-LaMarr-Woodley/38071371-e800-47a9-8b85-13063b7811ad |title=Raiders Sign LaMarr Woodley |access-date=March 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402204610/http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Raiders-Sign-LaMarr-Woodley/38071371-e800-47a9-8b85-13063b7811ad |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=dead }} He was released by the Raiders after one season.
=Arizona Cardinals=
On March 10, 2015, Woodley signed a one-year, $870,000 minimum contract with the Arizona Cardinals.{{cite web|url=http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-events/article-2/Cardinals-Sign-LaMarr-Woodley/342bf75b-7373-462b-8347-1b38a9d91343|title=Cardinals Sign LaMarr Woodley|first=Darren|last=Urban|date=March 10, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316083930/http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-events/article-2/Cardinals-Sign-LaMarr-Woodley/342bf75b-7373-462b-8347-1b38a9d91343|archive-date=March 16, 2015|url-status=dead}} On November 25, 2015, during Week 11's matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Woodley suffered a torn pectoral muscle. On November 26, 2015, Woodley was placed on injured reserve.{{Cite web|title = Cardinals bolster line with Red Bryant, put LaMarr Woodley on IR|date = November 27, 2015|url = http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/11/27/cardinals-bolster-line-with-red-bryant-put-lamarr-woodley-on-ir/|access-date = December 5, 2015}}
=NFL career statistics=
| class="wikitable" |
| colspan="2"| Legend |
|---|
| style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;"|
| Won the Super Bowl |
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|
| Led the league |
| Bold
| Career high |
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||||||||||||||
| Year | Team | {{tooltip|GP|Games played}} | {{tooltip|COMB|Combined tackles}} | {{tooltip|TOTAL|Total tackles}} | {{tooltip|AST|Assisted tackles}} | {{tooltip|SACK|Sacks}} | {{tooltip|FF|Forced fumbles}} | {{tooltip|FR|Fumble recoveries}} | {{tooltip|FR YDS|Fumble return yards}} | {{tooltip|TD|Fumble recoveries returned for touchdown}} | {{tooltip|INT|Interceptions}} | {{tooltip|IR YDS|Interception return yards}} | {{tooltip|AVG IR|Average interception return}} | {{tooltip|LNG|Longest interception return}} | {{tooltip|TD|Interceptions returned for touchdown}} | {{tooltip|PD|Passes defensed}} |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | PIT | 13 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | style="background:#afe6ba; width:3em;" |PIT | 15 | 60 | 41 | 19 | 11.5 | 2 | 4 | 9 | style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;" |1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 2009 | PIT | 16 | 62 | 50 | 12 | 13.5 | 1 | 1 | 77 | style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;" |1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2010 | PIT | 16 | 50 | 35 | 15 | 10.0 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 11 | 14 | 1 | 5 |
| 2011 | PIT | 10 | 39 | 26 | 13 | 9.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2012 | PIT | 13 | 38 | 27 | 11 | 4.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 | PIT | 11 | 36 | 20 | 16 | 5.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | OAK | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | ARI | 10 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| class="sortbottom"
| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WoodLa99.htm Career] | 110 | 319 | 229 | 90 | 58.0 | 9 | 9 | 105 | 2 | 5 | 40 | 8 | 14 | 1 | 18 |
Philanthropy
Since the start of his NFL career, Woodley has provided considerable amounts of free supplies to students in his hometown of Saginaw.{{cite news|url=http://www.mlive.com/sports/saginaw/index.ssf/2012/08/pittsburgh_steelers_linebacker_4.html |title=Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley pays participation fees for Saginaw Public Schools student-athletes |first=Hugh |last=Bernreuter |publisher=MLive.com |date=August 14, 2012 |access-date=August 17, 2012}} In January 2012, he donated 100 hooded sweatshirts to the Saginaw High band before its halftime performance at the Sugar Bowl between Michigan and Virginia Tech.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8276648/pittsburgh-steelers-lamarr-woodley-60k-donation-covers-schools-athletic-fees |title=LaMarr Woodley handles athletic fees |work=ESPN.com |date=August 17, 2012 |access-date=August 17, 2012}} Later that year, he started a foundation to coordinate his charitable activities. Shortly after the foundation was formed, Woodley found out that the Saginaw City School District would have to institute a $75-per-student participation fee for high school athletics in the 2012–13 school year due to budget cutbacks. Through his foundation, he donated $60,000 to cover the fees for all athletes in the district—at Saginaw High, Arthur Hill High School, and the city's junior high and middle schools. In 2018, Woodley opened Woodley Leadership Academy, a tuition free K-8 charter school in Saginaw.{{cite web | last=Johnson | first=Bob | title=Almost 200 enroll in LaMarr Woodley's charter school in Saginaw | website=mlive | date=2018-08-24 | url=https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/2018/08/almost_200_enrolled_in_lamarr.html | access-date=2024-07-24}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.lamarrwoodley56.com Official website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140314060534/http://www.raiders.com/team/roster/LaMarr-Woodley/e246ae40-8987-4306-83c5-58e7058d8908 Oakland Raiders profile]
- [http://www.azcardinals.com/team/roster/LaMarr-Woodley/1ca970e3-a20c-4a36-b748-e4672d4c4112 Arizona Cardinals bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123040838/http://www.azcardinals.com/team/roster/LaMarr-Woodley/1ca970e3-a20c-4a36-b748-e4672d4c4112 |date=January 23, 2016 }}
{{Lombardi Award}}
{{Ted Hendricks Award}}
{{2006 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}{{Big Ten Conference Football Player of the Year navbox}}{{Steelers2007DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl XLIII}}
{{Portal bar|American football|Biography|College football}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodley, Lamarr}}
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football defensive ends
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Arizona Cardinals players
Category:Michigan Wolverines football players
Category:Oakland Raiders players
Category:Players of American football from Saginaw, Michigan
Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players
Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen
Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen